Mount Union begins quest for 12th national title in football

It's time to raise the curtain for the second act in NCAA Division III college football. The 32-team playoff chase begins Saturday at noon across the country. The first act was certainly a smash hit at the University of Mount Union. The defending national champion Purple Raiders went 10-0, won the Ohio Athletic Conference for the 22nd straight season, earned a No. 1 seed and will host Washington & Jefferson on Saturday.

It's time to raise the curtain for the second act in NCAA Division III college football. The 32-team playoff chase begins Saturday at noon across the country.

The first act was certainly a smash hit at the University of Mount Union. The defending national champion Purple Raiders went 10-0, won the Ohio Athletic Conference for the 22nd straight season, earned a No. 1 seed and will host Washington & Jefferson on Saturday.

But this was no normal season for the program that has won 11 national titles.

For the first time in 28 years, Larry Kehres wasn't the Mount Union head coach. Vince Kehres, Larry's son and longtime defensive coordinator, succeeded him. The defense started five sophomores. The offensive line and receiving corps had zero returning starters. Five players from last year's 15-0 team were invited to NFL camps.

So, yeah, this 10-0 regular season is a big deal, said junior quarterback Kevin Burke.

"I think it really does get overlooked that Mount Union was 10-0 again, undefeated," Burke said after Saturday's 42-34 win over John Carroll in a battle of unbeatens. "It's more than that: Coach Vince Kehres is undefeated in his first year. We can't do that without his help.

"Coach Kehres, Larry Kehres, did a great job when he was here, obviously. His record speaks for itself. But coach Vince Kehres knows how to play football, his dad brought him up well.

"He knows what he's doing and he was ready for this. The fact we are undefeated is not surprising to us at all. Everyone in the locker room knew this was going to happen."

Burke was the only starter back on offense. His leadership, good decisions and playmaking skills helped the Raiders average 49.3 points, 545.7 yards of total offense and 26.9 first downs a game. Mount Union also converted 63.3 percent on third down, best in the nation by 8.1 percent.

There is zero doubt Burke is the man on offense. But even he can't do it without help.

"Jack Nicholls really came through," said Kehres. "It was easy to forget he was a first-year starter. He exceeded expectations. Luc Meacham, we had high expectations for him, and he exceeded them."

Kehres had no expectations of B.J. Mitchell. For one, Mitchell was a 5-6, 165-pound freshman running back. Freshmen don't play at Mount, unless your name is Nate Kmic, college football's career rushing leader upon graduation. A five-carry, 105-yard game in Week 5 earned Mitchell more time and he ran with it, breaking 100 yards each of the last three games.

Page 2 of 2 - "Bradley's been a real spark," Kehres said of Mitchell's 768 yards and 7.3 per carry efforts. "He had to make guys miss to make a 3-yarder into 15, and he's done that, against quality defenses."

Kehres still runs the defense. And it's still dominating.

The unit was ranked No. 2 in total defense going into last week's John Carroll game despite starting sophomores Tre Jones and Alex Kocheff in the secondary, Hank Spencer and Jonathan Gonell at linebacker and Tom Lally at tackle. Spencer and Lally, though, were returning players being counted on to complement senior linemen Matt Fechko and Nyejel Thomas.

Games against powerhouse passing teams such as Franklin, John Carroll and Heidelberg — which also had the No. 2 rusher in the nation in Cartel Brooks — didn't send first-year safeties Joshua Scott and Mike Maier or corner Isaiah Chambers cowering.

"We've given up too many points and too many yards," Kehres said of the Berg and Carroll each scoring 34. "But I'm pleased with the effort, they've taken to the coaching. I think we're experienced enough at this point in the season.

"Now, it's going to be a matter of maximum effort and concentration, and executing our defensive schemes."